An old time trotter trainer I knew used to cut a foot shape from and old automobile tire and put it between foot and shoe. Seemed to work very well.

[bw]Those were called Cabos Zappatas.It so interesting what guys did before shock tamers and all that stuff.I never for get one guy I knew made a real nice doctor boot for the feet out of an innertube and also made a pair of real nice iceboots from the same tube it was real neat he just fold the tube so there would be no seem . you no i think ALOT of the stuff like that always works as good as payn outstanding money for something fancy that dont last any longer than it takes to eat a bowl of cheerios.You no the old saying necessity is the birth of genius.